i'm trying to install win 8.1 pro on a windows 10 laptop,i know there will be issues with drivers,but thats not a problem.
i purchased a windows 8.1 pro-OEM-ESD product key off amazon,it didn't cost too much, i thought i could use this to activate a clean install using a "windows 8.1 home USB flash" that i'd created from instructions on here and that i've used before, and it would automatically upgrade to pro, it obviously wouldn't activate. i later realised a generic key would have activated it so that i could then upgrade to win 8.1 pro and then activate the pro version with the aforementioned win 8.1 pro key i purchased.it would not accept the key i think because the key is OEM and not for upgrade.
i then purchased another windows 8.1 pro key (again off amazon for a measure of authenticity) this time with a DVD it is called "win pro 8.1 X64 ENGLISH 1PK DSP OEI DVD update media included" on the dvd it is written "windows 8.1 pro full version" i thought i would be able to install this from an USB DVD drive. it would not accept the activation key. it is genuine, its just that i'm not installing it correctly.
i then installed win 8.1 home from the USB flash install and used a generic activation code with the hope that one of the pro activation keys would allow me to upgrade using "add features" they didn't work, i think because there for an initial install and not an upgrade.
next i ran the dvd from within windows 8.1 activated with a generic key, and then the win pro activation code was accepted (so i know its genuine,but it went onto another screen and asked for the original win 8.1 key,not the generic key seemingly to verify that win 8.1 is legally licensed before allowing the upgrade to pro ,so i could go no further!
i then read on the dvd pack that it had to be installed using the OEM pre-installation tools. i went to the Microsoft web page indicated to get the tool,but it has changed name and you have to register as a company to access the new tool to install the OEM dvd.
what i need to know if there is an easy way to install this win 8.1 pro ie is there a tool that can easily install using the DVD.
please help,
thank you for reading and please forgive my ignorance in this matter and the complex way i have written this, but to me,trying to install windows 8.1 pro onto this computer is a very complicated nightmare.
i purchased a windows 8.1 pro-OEM-ESD product key off amazon,it didn't cost too much, i thought i could use this to activate a clean install using a "windows 8.1 home USB flash" that i'd created from instructions on here and that i've used before, and it would automatically upgrade to pro, it obviously wouldn't activate. i later realised a generic key would have activated it so that i could then upgrade to win 8.1 pro and then activate the pro version with the aforementioned win 8.1 pro key i purchased.it would not accept the key i think because the key is OEM and not for upgrade.
i then purchased another windows 8.1 pro key (again off amazon for a measure of authenticity) this time with a DVD it is called "win pro 8.1 X64 ENGLISH 1PK DSP OEI DVD update media included" on the dvd it is written "windows 8.1 pro full version" i thought i would be able to install this from an USB DVD drive. it would not accept the activation key. it is genuine, its just that i'm not installing it correctly.
i then installed win 8.1 home from the USB flash install and used a generic activation code with the hope that one of the pro activation keys would allow me to upgrade using "add features" they didn't work, i think because there for an initial install and not an upgrade.
next i ran the dvd from within windows 8.1 activated with a generic key, and then the win pro activation code was accepted (so i know its genuine,but it went onto another screen and asked for the original win 8.1 key,not the generic key seemingly to verify that win 8.1 is legally licensed before allowing the upgrade to pro ,so i could go no further!
i then read on the dvd pack that it had to be installed using the OEM pre-installation tools. i went to the Microsoft web page indicated to get the tool,but it has changed name and you have to register as a company to access the new tool to install the OEM dvd.
what i need to know if there is an easy way to install this win 8.1 pro ie is there a tool that can easily install using the DVD.
please help,
thank you for reading and please forgive my ignorance in this matter and the complex way i have written this, but to me,trying to install windows 8.1 pro onto this computer is a very complicated nightmare.
Last edited: